Twist of Fate
by Hellmouth23
Summary: Jack always knew the distinct difference between right and wrong, being a committed Police Officer, but what happens when he meets a certain brunette he once knew who just so happens to now be positioned on the wrong side of the law. JATE.
1. Chapter 1

**Twist of Fate**

**Hey guys it's me again and I come bringing another story which is actually inspired from one of my other stories, it's called "Crossover" and it's a crossover with Haunted and Lost. Now the island of course never happened here, but when has that ever stopped jack and kate from being with each other. Hehe. Anyhoo without further here it is and I hope you like the direction I'm gonna be taking this in guys.**

**Summary : Jack always knew the distinct difference between right and wrong, being one of the best police officers and all, but what happens when he meets a certain brunette he once knew who just so happens to now be positioned on the wrong side of the law. **

**P.S. I do not own lost or any of it's charac….ugh I'm tired.**

Enjoy

It was the same old routine everyday for one Jack Shepherd. Up at 7am, go for his usual 1 mile run, and then have enough time to take a quick shower and then prepare himself for the new and eventful day ahead, with a troubled but anxious mind. In the last ten years he had managed to fulfil just about every goal he had set for himself, the biggest one of all which was breaking his family trait and becoming the first police officer who had originally descended from a long line of Doctor's, but even with gaining that sense of accomplishment, he knew that there was still something or someone missing, he reminded himself sadly of the way they went their separate ways at the end of college. Till this day he could still remember every thing about her, the way she looked, the way the breeze blew threw her thick and luscious brown curls, and the exact way the sun shone onto her beautiful freckles, making her look like something out of a fairytale, he dreamily wondered whenever he saw her.

_(Flashback - 10 years ago)_

_It was two weeks till finals now and as a result of it he rarely ever lifted his gaze from his books to see what was going on with the outside world, or even notice that there was someone now standing right in front of him, and the very next minute he was forced to look up and now gasp in shock at the fact that his face and clothes were now fully covered in water._

_"Finally got your attention" the brunette announced with a wicked smirk on her face that made jack's slight hint of anger wash away completely. From the time he had gotten to know her, he could honestly say that he had never met someone who was so full of life and ready to face the world. In some ways it almost made him look up to her and view her as the perfect role model, but he also couldn't get past what he had started to feel for her as well, over the past few months when they had become good friends._

_"So is there a reason for this kind of wake up call " jack teased while making sure she had no more water balloons stashed away, because he could tell by the look on her face that she had something up her sleeve._

_"Well Shep I was wondering whether you would be my lovely escort to a party they are having in my dorm." she sweetly asked while preparing to give him her well practiced puppy dog look that always won him over no matter what._

_"What for?" he asked rather dumbly making kate roll her eyes at his naivety and then respond._

_"Does there ever have to be a reason jack, it's college, the whole party thing comes with the course package." she answered making him chuckle in response. He knew that he should probably say no because of finals and all, but once he gazed into her sparkling and hope filled green eyes, he relented in the end with a simple nod and in response she just leaned over the table he was sitting at and threw her arms around him while thanking him over and over, and much to his good luck he didn't mind the feel of her on him in the slightest._

_"So who gonna be there?" jack asked once she unfortunately pulled away._

_"Uh well just the usual, Claire, Charlie, Shannon, Sayid and……Sawyer" she revealed saying the last part with nothing but regret and jack picked up on it right away, and had a faint idea as to why she constantly regarded the southerner in that fashion._

_"What did he do this time?" jack asked while trying to control his sudden anger over the fact that the redneck had forcefully touched her yet again._

_"The usual, a little smile and a slap on my ass to go with it. I swear the next time he does that I'm gonna start to take up kickboxing lessons and then we'll see how he likes it being done to him" she said making jack chuckle at not only her statement, but also of the cute way her face scrunched up whenever she was really angry about something._

_"Ah Katie what are we gonna do with you eh" jack responded while shaking his head from side to side and making kate just squint at him in fake annoyance and then throw herself at him, both of them suddenly landing on the floor and laughing out loud, but that soon changed when they met each other's keen and watchful gaze, seeing something deep and meaningful within and with that they decided to put all inhibitions aside and go for it at that very moment, but as they started to lean in, they were suddenly brought out of their desirous reverie by the bell going off, signalling for them to continue on, but kate on the other hand didn't seem to want to pull away, but much to her surprise and disappointment he pulled away completely and offered her a friendly smile while saying…._

_"Saved by the bell huh" he said making kate reluctantly return his smile to mainly hide the confusion that now lingered within her. Was there something wrong with me? She asked herself and before she even had the time to talk to him, he was off like a shot to his next class, making her feel suddenly more alone than ever._

_On his way to class he couldn't stop thinking about what had just nearly happened, what he nearly let happen. He knew that as much as he wanted to give in and act on his feelings, he didn't want to ruin the great friendship that they had. It was truly like no other he reaffirmed himself, but still he was curious to find out what would happen if there was more._

_(End of Flashback)_

Now ten years later he thought of the same thing or the same question everyday, _would things have turned out different if he did give in that day?_ He asked himself as he stepped out of his car and walked in through the front entrance of the L.A. Police Station to hopefully get his mind off her for once. Little did he know that fate had a mysterious way of working.

"Hey jack" Ana declared while coming over to greet her best friend with a morning pat on the back, which in some ways reminded him of kate and the way she used to be with him in this very way. _God I really need to stop thinking about her_, he mentally scolded himself while trying to get through the day.

"Hey you okay man?" Ana asked, genuinely concerned over the fact that he looked like he was in a catatonic state at the moment, but much to her relief he simply offered her a smile in return and went on about his day by walking over to the case file section, just like he did everyday, to check out the ever growing pile of criminals who were either caught or still on the loose. Although today was like no other, because today something caught his eye within that pile. The file attached with a picture he once knew as the one and only…

"Katie" he silently said to himself while widening his eyes in shock and then checking again to see if it was really her case file he was holding in his now trembling hands.

**So what doyou think guys?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Wow guys thanks so much for all the positive feedback, because it truly means a lot to me and I just hope that you'll like this one as well and the direction I'm starting to take it in ;)**

Enjoy

A thousand thoughts loomed threw his head at the moment, but none of them seemed to make sense at the moment because all he could think of was her, just like he did for the past ten years and how much things had obviously changed between them, especially her as he looked at the case file in his hand one more time just to make sure.

However his shock grew further as he read the case file. He always knew that she and her father never really saw eye to eye on everything ,but he never truly knew that her dislike of him went to this very extent. _There has to be a plausible reason,_ he kept on saying to himself as he read on further, not believing in the slightest that it was still her name he was seeing being mentioned within this file.

"Jack" Ana called out to the distracted man now standing just feet away from her, not even bothering to respond in any way cause he was too consumed with his thoughts, but being the kind of person she was, she rarely gave up on anything, especially on someone like Jack, so with that she attempted to try again, this time by going over to him to also see what was keeping him so distracted at the minute.

"Hey man are you okay?" Ana asked, with more urgency and concern in her tone, in an attempt to find out what was the cause for the sudden change in him. Jack on the other hand still couldn't hear anything and only snapped out of it when he suddenly felt something making contact with the end of his shoulder and with that he turned around to face the person while silently sneaking the case file behind his back so that he could get a better knowing of it in his office.

"You good man?" Ana asked again while offering him a little smile to go with it making jack just simply return the gesture in the same fashion and then walk off in the direction of his office while keeping Kate's case file tucked safely underneath the back of his trousers.

(A few miles away)

"We have to keep moving" the voice announced itself to the other with hushed urgency and all the other figure could do in response was just sit back against the side of the abandoned dumpster, clearly exhausted and simply not willing to move any further.

"C'mon we've been on the move for three days straight sweetheart, how far do you wanna get" the slightly dishevelled man stressed while trying to get his breath back.

"As far away from this place as possible Sawyer, I just can't stay here any longer" Kate admitted while hanging her head in sadness at the last part. Ever since they had abruptly parted ways since College, she had wanted to call him everyday, but every time she reached out to grab the phone, she started to remind herself that she didn't want to involve him in her mess, so as a result she chose not associate herself with him in any way. So from that point on she kept on reassuring herself of that very thought whenever the pain and realisation hit her in any way. However during that time her pain seemed to have grown in other ways. The most dominant one being her drunken Step Father Wayne whom she despised with every fibre of her being. He was everything she would have never dreamed of becoming, but now ten years later she could virtually be credited in that same category, a bad person, a criminal due to what she had committed a few weeks ago.

"Hey Freckles you alright?" Sawyer asked the thinking brunette suddenly snapping her out of her reverie and making her then let out a huff of annoyance at being referred to the name he used to call her back in College.

Till this day she never truly understood what had led her to him. Well the obvious reason was that he was a criminal like her but unlike him, she never took pride in it or even considered it to be a usual 9 to 5 job, but still she couldn't seem to decipher what was keeping them together. _Do I sub- consciously feel something for him?_ She actually dared to ask herself while glancing back at the slouched man on the floor now dozing off and making her smile slightly at the sight. _Maybe it was because he had changed since then,_ she told herself trying to also reassure herself in some ways that maybe she could trust him now, in the same way she knew she would have trusted the one man she loved, the one man she still loved, but was unattainable due to her unfortunate circumstances.

(Back at the Police station)

The moment he stepped foot into his office, he was immediately on the phone with the one person who also knew Kate inside and out, even better than her own mother who had sadly passed away a few years ago he had regretfully heard.

"Hello" the soft voice spoke into the phone.

"Hey Claire it's me I uh…" he managed to get out before a voice in the background on Claire's side had stopped the two from continuing anything further.

"Okay Charlie I will" Claire shouted into the background, following her husband's instructions of turning on the TV and what she saw come onto the screen made her gasp in shock, not really believing her eyes in the slightest.

"Claire what's goi…" Jack managed to say before the blonde simply cut him off by saying….

"Turn on your TV Jack" Claire replied and once he did, he too was surprised, but hurt as well with what he was seeing. This was not happening, this just wasn't and with that he attempted to turn the TV off and fill his mind with obvious false hope and reason over what was happening, but the voice of the reporter was what snapped him out of his thinking and stopped him as well from moving any further.

"This is KC20 News, I'm Tricia Tanaka and we are now here at the latest hit of the "Dynamic Duo" as they are so called now." the Reporter announced into her mike while also going over to talk to one of the witnesses from the broken in grocery store.

"Can you tell us what happened Mam?" the Reported asked while trying to get past some of the other reporters who were literally hogging the witness like she was prey.

"He shot him….so much blood" the woman kept on saying while trying to get over her apparent shock, and the growing horde of reporters now circling themselves around her didn't seem to help one bit.

Following this, the TV screen was then labelled with the pictures of the "Dynamic Duo", and at that point Jack simply couldn't find the will to breathe. Not only at just seeing her picture, but of another person as well, a man. A man he never thought she would be with in a million years_. I guess she has changed,_ he sadly admitted to himself, the pain in his heart now shattering to the point where he didn't seem to care about anything anymore, not because he didn't want to, but because his heart was so broken now that he had little place to feel anything else.

"Jack, Jack are you there" the voice on the other end of the phone kept calling out in a desperate plea to get through this emotionally distraught man.

"Jack" the voice on the other end called out again, this time with more urgency and determination and with that Jack snapped right out of it and put the phone to his ear to just say a quick goodbye and when that was done he simply took hold of her case file and car keys and then went to ask his boss if he could take the next few weeks off for personal family reasons. Lucky for him his boss agreed without hesitation, knowing that his excuse was legit, and with that he was off, on a mission for an explanation, because he wasn't gonna give up, not now not ever.

"Wow where's the fire" a startled Ana exclaimed as Jack bumped into her on the way in a big hurry she obviously assumed. At first he didn't respond, but just nodded his head while smiling at her and then making the move to walk off, but she didn't give up there, instead she grasped hold of his arm to ask him again while an expression of concern flashed through her gaze to show him that she wasn't kidding around in the slightest.

"What's going on Jack?" she asked him hoping to get an answer out of him.

"Nothing. Everything's alright. I just haven't been feeling too well lately, so I'm just gonna head home and rest it off. I'll see ya later" Jack confessed in somewhat of a hurried fashion and with that he was off, leaving her clueless.

"Hey Ana" an Officer called out behind her to get her attention.

"Hey Marc what's up" Ana replied while her thoughts still lingered with what was really going on with Jack. She knew him long enough to know that when he was hiding something, especially from her.

"Cortez you alright?" the Officer asked again, trying to snap her out of it.

"Huh! Yeah, so what's goin on?" Ana asked trying to stay focused.

"Just wanted to ask you whether you've seen Austen's case file?" The Officer causally asked making the black haired woman knit her eyebrows in genuine confusion, but a part of her had a vague recollection of Jack having used that name once in one of their conversations. However she didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet, so she pushed the thought away and forced herself back into reality.

"No, sorry I haven't man" she replied and then walked off to her own cubicle, her suspicions starting to loom around again.

**So there it is guys and there will be some present Jack and Kate interaction in the coming chapters. So what do you think guys? Do you wanna see what happens next?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Hey guys moi is back again and with a long awaited update. One I sincerely apologise for not putting up sooner. Anyhoo without further interruption here it is guys and I hope you'll like it. **

**P.S. Thanks so much for the reviews guys and as always please do keep them comin!!**

Enjoy

_(Flashback - 10 Years ago)_

"_Have you seen her today?" the smaller blonde was inquired by the same voice. The tone of the voice gaining that much more concern as they failed to get a proper response._

"_I'm sorry Jack I haven't but it's a little early so there's still time." Claire replied while trying her level best to hide the real reason she felt the brunette might not be here in the first place. However she was sworn to secrecy on the whole issue about Wayne, especially to Jack, because she and Kate knew that things would get even more out of hand if he chose to involve himself in any way. _

"_It's okay mate. She'll be here before you even know it." the short man beside Claire offered while making the physical and friendly gesture of patting the taller man's back, making him feel somewhat comforted by it, but still he couldn't dismiss his obvious worry over her._

_(Meanwhile)_

"_WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO DAMN WELL GO. I AIN'T HER FUCKING FATHER!!" _

"_BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR HER, AND IF YOU WEREN'T DRINKING HALF THE TIME YOU WOULD KNOW THAT!!"_

_The next thing she heard after that usual outburst was a loud thud. Her immediately assuming that it was like any other day within the Austen household. The next thing she was expecting was for her to receive the same treatment, but surprisingly enough she was welcomed with something else. At first it started off as nothing but a mere tap. A sound that could easily go unheard, but the voice that came along with it was clear enough for her to understand that there was someone outside, and when she finally made the move to decipher the identity of the person, she let out a gasp of genuine shock._

"_What are you doing here?" the brunette chose to ask him while keeping a constant eye on the door to her bedroom. _

"_Ahh freckles aren't you gonna come down and give me a kiss or somethin" the shaggy haired man offered while offering her one of his dimpled smiles. A gesture she knew would get any girl other than her of course going down on their knees like a follower before their God. _

"_What do you want James?" she replied in a nonchalant manner. An attempt to portray her never ending disinterest in this man despite his best efforts to make her see otherwise. However his constant sense of enthusiasm struck a shred of interest from within her. _

"_Well I don't know about you sweetheart but I've never been one for graduations, so I thought about doing something else, wanna come along?" the southerner asked, and the chuckle he received in response was enough to convince him that she may well agree this time after having been turned down so many times. _

_However the next thing that came out of her mouth briefly wiped that smile off his face completely._

"_Your crazy you know that. I mean do you think that I would ditch my own graduation to hang out with you instead." _

"_C'mon freckles, when have you ever just forgotten about everything else and had fun instead." he tried again, his determination to win her over really getting to her at this point even though a part of her tried to suppress it, feeling that there was only one person who should and could make her feel like this. _

_Could it hurt?, an internal voice affirmed her better judgement. Which at the moment was firmly focused on going to her graduation, but with whom she wasn't sure at the moment._

"_C'mon your not gonna get executed or anything for not attending your graduation Freckles." _

_What could it really hurt?, she told herself while silencing her better judgement for what she should really be doing._

"_Okay, I'll be down in a minute." was her final and considerably thought out answer to his constant plea, and from that day onwards his visits had become quite incessant, and each time she would grow more comfortably and eased with him. Just like she would with another man who was still waiting all that time for a chance._

_(End of flashback)_

Now all she could think of was _"what if"? _What if she had gone to her graduation instead. Would she still be here or would she be somewhere else. Preferably in the presence of the one right thing in her life.

"This was all I could get." she heard a voice announce itself from behind her, and like she always did now, she just frowned in sadness and boredom over the more than unfortunate reality of her life.

"You okay freckles?" the southerner genuinely inquired off her as he too sensed something other than her usual gloom filled expression. A gesture he tried his level best to turn the other way round, but the constant failure of his efforts lead him to just develop a carefree attitude, and as a result it turned him back into the old James she used to know back in College. The James that really made her skin crawl. Although they were different people now, the brunette especially as she always remembered what she done. The crime she had committed and would have to pay for sometime as a result.

_Maybe I should, _was the statement that kept on lingering in her mind a lot of the time, especially when her journey with this man took her farther away from living the right and truthful way of life.

"Hey Kate." he tried again even though every fibre within him was telling him to leave it for now. Him firmly believing that it was yet another one of her mood swings or something.

"Yeah I just wanna get some fresh air or something. So can you hang out here for a second and I'll be back in a few." the brunette casually instructed while affirming her statement with a smile. The gesture coming off in the way she hoped because if he knew what her mind was formulating at this very minute then he would have a lot to say the least. The most important one of all being what the hell was she thinking doing this?

"Fine. Just don't take too long okay cause I might get a little cold." he teased and earned a slap up the head in response, and with that she was out of his view.

Once she walked to the end of the latest alley they were using as their temporary hideout, she scanned the scenery for the nearest phone box, and much to her luck there was one opposite to where she was standing at, at this very minute. So with scanning her surroundings one last time she was off. Quickly making her way to her destination, but the sound of a deafening screech made as she attempted to make her first steps to the road before her was enough to make her stop once and for all, and the next thing she did see was a speeding object moving along with that displeasing sound. Right before everything went black for her.

"Oh my God" was all the person behind the wheel kept on saying as they vacated the car. Their expression masking a natural sense of fear and dread, but as the identity of the now dormant figure uncovered itself before them, that expression of fear and dread turned into one of complete shock and devastation.

"Katie?" the tall brown eyed man expressed in the form of a sob while crouching himself down to the brunette's level.

The journey to the hospital had gratefully been a quick one and Jack was there every step of the way, despite the countless number of distractions that restricted him from focusing on the woman who had plagued his dreams endlessly. The most pressing distraction being the Police report and all, and in the end they just put it down to the pedestrian not acting on their required perception when crossing a road. At first Jack found it simply ridiculous that they were blaming her for the whole thing, but in attempt to spend time with her he just passed it off and said that he would personally take care of it later.

What he was also surprised with was the fact that no one had recognised her yet. Even though her profile was probably put up on every street corner. However even though he was a patron of the law, he didn't have the heart to give her up like that. Besides in his eyes she would never be anything else other than his Katie.

Once they arrived, she was immediately rushed off into ICU. Her injuries immediately striking a natural sense of concern over the Doctors who were treating her at the moment, and the man waiting anxiously but patiently outside those very doors wasn't feeling all that calm as well.

_God please don't take her away from me, _he kept on reciting to himself while gazing at the heavens for his plea to be answered, and instead all he received was the additional arrival of yet another familiar face. One who received the exact opposite reaction to the way his unexpected meeting with the brunette went off earlier.

"What are you doing here Ford?" Jack attempted to ask in the form of a growl. His obvious sense of hate failing to suppress itself simply because there was no other way to feel and regard this person. This man who on a countless number of occasions had tried to steal what he always considered was his. The beautiful brunette whose life was probably in the balance due to his mistake.

"The name's Sawyer jackass and I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you and what you did to her." the shaggy haired man shot back. His tone showing an equal amount of anger and hate.

"What do you……"

"I saw it Jack. I saw it all. You better count your damn lucky stars that she's alright because if she isn't then you and I gotta problem." the southerner growled in a low voice while physically readying himself for any physical sense of confrontation he knew would develop as a result of this heated argument.

"Since when do you care about her?" the man opposite him enquired with a genuine sense of curiosity, but the anger spread over his features was enough to make it look like he was saying it out of anger instead.

"It's none of ya damn business pretty boy, and I'd watch it if I was you." Sawyer warned him, but Jack just laughed bitterly in his face while making the move to make his reply.

"A murderer threatening a police officer. Now that's an interesting aspect of role reversal." he revealed shutting up the man opposite him right away.

"Yeah, so I would think twice about……"

"Mr. Shepherd?" a soft voice suddenly announced itself from behind the two men. The physical appearance of the voice both worrying them immensely, because they knew that this was the person who could decipher the fate of the woman they both cared for. Maybe even loved.

"How is she?" they both asked at the same time. The Doctor looking upon them with an unreadable expression in turn.

**Well there it is guys and don't worry cause come next chap we'll not only find out if Kate is okay but we'll also see the progression of the jate here and how it will attempt to survive with all the obstacles along the way. So what do you think guys?? Please do take the time to drop a review because it does mean a lot to me in return :)**

**P.S. the jex will come, and since Jack is a cop I think you guys can come up with the various amount of possibilities, hehe!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Back again guys and yes we'll start to see some kind of jate progression commencing from this chapter onward. So without further adieu here it is and I hope you guys will like it. Thanks so much for the reviews and as always please keep them coming.**

**P.S. As always I would like to apologise for the delay in an update guys, but I temporarily lost my sense of focus with this fic but I'm back on task and have also gained a better sense of clarity with the direction I want to take this in. So I hope you guys will stick around with me. I've even got a brand new fic already in the works, but I'm gonna try and finish some of the ones I've started before I even think of posting that one lol.**

Enjoy

"_Mr. Shepherd?" a soft voice suddenly announced itself from behind the two men. The physical appearance of the voice both worrying them immensely, because they knew that this was the person who could decipher the fate of the woman they both cared for. Maybe even loved._

"_How is she?" they both asked at the same time. The Doctor looking upon them with an unreadable expression in turn._

He had never felt this way in his entire life. It was honestly a weird combination but it's outcome was enough to award him with an endless surge of urgency. Urgency to know if she was gonna be okay because he had already convinced his mind that he wasn't going to accept the possibility of something fatal happening to her as a result of his mistake.

No, not when she just came back into my life, he affirmed himself while trying to focus on what the Doctor in front of him started to say.

"Mr. Shepherd, can I talk to you alone for a minute cau………………."

"Whatever you gotta say Doc, you can say it to the both of us. In fact if it weren't for……………………" the Southerner grumbled while folding his arms and positioning his form in a defensive stance, his expression accommodating his attitude considerably.

"Sawyer." the man next to him warned because he had already beaten himself up enough about this. The last thing he needed was a reminder and from a annoying source to say the least. Much to his relief the shaggy haired man he loathed with every fibre of his being gave up the tussle, his focus presumably on the same path as him, or at least he thought so.

"Sir?" the Doctor decided to interrupt the amazingly tense moment between the two men before him. The smartly dressed man disengaging himself from the staring battle he had going on with his opponent.

"Is she alright?" Jack finally managed to ask again once his mind was completely focused on the task at hand, and that was tending to her well being.

"She's……….." the Doctor started out but he was momentarily interrupted by the incessant beeping of his beeper and as he made the move to get it, the corridor they were in at the moment was suddenly filled with the anguished yell of a woman both men knew all too well, and without displaying any sense of hesitation Jack was off like a shot. His ears taking note of the strength of the sound while his feet got him closer to it, the Southerner following in the same manner.

Two doors later and both men were suddenly met with a sight that forced their hearts to wince and their stomachs to churn at hearing the full extent of her pain, the level of her screaming silently telling them that the pain wasn't subsiding in the slightest but within minutes the working Doctors around her had managed to calm her into a light slumber, but there was honestly no cure to the way Jack felt at this very minute.

The whole way here he had been scared to death over the status of her condition. A thing he knew she wouldn't have to deal with if it wasn't for his careless mistake. Now he wasn't sure what he was feeling. It was a mix of guilt, pain, compassion and most of all regret.

"You happy now Jacko. She's in that bed because of your damn mistake and all I gotta say is that she better make it outta this, cause if not then you and me have got a problem." Sawyer warned him, his tone running on pure fury at seeing the oddly disfigured form of the dormant brunette.

"I'm sorry" was the only thing Jack could offer as his eyes took in the painfully horrific scene. His vision becoming extremely blurred as he heard the man behind reminding him that he was responsible for this, and when the pain got too much for him he turned around and headed out, leaving the other man to obviously pick up the pieces, and he wasted no time in seizing the opportunity.

He was like a wild man now as he drove aimlessly around the streets, his mind reciting the incident over and over and each time it ended with the last image he had seen of her. A considerably wide contrast to the last time he had caught so much as a glimpse of her. At first he couldn't make head no tails of the things he had seen that day, the disguise being the most important one of all, but now it all made sense.

_(Flashback 7 years ago)_

_It was a day unlike any other for one Officer Shepherd. It still hadn't sunk in that he was getting to live his childhood dream of becoming a cop despite his family's wishes, mainly his Father's doing to make him see otherwise._

"_A dream is a wish your heart makes."_

_Those words alone were what kept him going the whole time. Even when it seemed like everything had gone to hell. Those words had always reined true in his mind and the fact that she had said it comforted him all the more. _

_It had been exactly a week since he had last seen her and he still couldn't let the shock subside. Mainly cause he hadn't seen her for so long, but what willed him to smile was the fact that she looked exactly the same with the exception of a few minor changes here and there but apart from that she was still the same old Katie he had grown to befriend fiercely and possibly love if he was given the slight hint that she felt the same way. He was well aware of her attachment to the loner, Sawyer and over the course of their involvement as he interpreted it, he grew less and less convinced that she did in fact feel the same way, but never the less he kept an open mind._

_Till this day he could remember their conversation, word for word._

_(A week ago)_

_All he wanted now was a nice hot cup of coffee and the batch at his work place was fairly different to say the least, but being the kind of guy he was he kept shut about it and said he was gonna run a couple of errands after making sure that he wasn't needed for anything._

_A few blocks later and he was parking at the Sally's Diner. The same one he had been coming to since College and he couldn't but smile at the great times he had shared here, specifically with a certain green eyed brunette he couldn't seem to move on from, his heart still hanging onto the possibility that his feelings might just be requited._

_Snap out of it man, he told himself, and with that he vacated his vehicle and breezed through the entrance of the coffee shop, his sights being welcomed with the cosy familiarity of his past. From the same people who worked there, to the booth in the far corner where he and the brunette had engaged in activities such as studying and so forth. _

_For some reason he just felt like planting himself in that very spot, and coincidentally it was the only booth in the diner which was kept vacant, and he spent no time in occupying it to hopefully experience those memories again. _

_The first thing he made a move to look for was the marking he had left on the underside of the table which fitted perfectly within the red framed seats. _

"_Is there anything I can get you………" the waitress approached and uttered in a monotonous tone, but it soon died down when the identity of her present customer became known to her as he resurfaced from under the table._

"_Ja……..Jack.?" she mouthed as the shock of seeing him washed over her like an endless wave. Her belief that he was actually here and now not sinking in at all._

"_Katie? What are………" he replied while masking a mirroring expression. A million questions roamed through his mind at that moment, the most intriguing one of all being what the hell was she doing here in the first place?_

_During their many conversations, she had constantly talked about the possibility of her becoming a photographer, the early evidence of her talent amazing him immensely and with that he had vowed to make that dream of hers a reality, just like she had constantly done when it came to pursuing his. _

_What happened along the way? He honestly wondered as he continued to stare at the woman who stood in front of him now. The subject of her present profession not suiting her in his opinion, but he wasn't about to make judgements on the way she should live her life. It was one of the things he didn't want to adopt in their friendship. So with that in mind he resorted to the next best thing. An attempt he was convinced would get her to open up to the reason she was here instead of having her talent gracing the covers of every hi- fashion magazine. _

"_So what have you been up to?" the brunette asked before he even had the time to ask her that very question, his plan failing within a matter of seconds, but within that space of time he started to formulate a B option. _

"_Uh……..not much." he responded, a clear attempt to pre-long the conversation with her, and if it weren't for her hollering Boss at the counter then he was convinced she would have told him. Told him the reason she was working as a waitress. _

"_Sorry Jack I've got to get back to work, but it was great meeting you again." Kate expressed in a hurried manner while trying to understand what her Boss was ordering her to do, the most obvious one of all being her present involvement with the man she had never expected to see today. She was also slightly surprised at the fact that he was even regarding her presence after what she done to him. The choice she had made which lead her to this kind of result, working in an old Diner to help pay her Mother's Hospital bills being that her Step Father Wayne was busily squandering his on the nearest form of liquid relief, but she could never tell Jack all of this. She wouldn't be able to bear seeing that look of shame and pity. Just the way she had imagined seeing it in her mind, but it seemed she didn't consider the very extent of his determination to know something and then fix it if it were needed._

"_Maybe you and I could grab some coffee later or something." Jack suggested while stilling her movement with the hold he had initiated on her arm. _

"_Jack I……."_

"_Please" he begged off her while trying his best to show it through his hazel lit gaze, the sheer sincerity within them managing to weaken the brunette's resolve to politely turn him down, because the last thing she needed now was another thing to worry about, but the more she allowed herself to get lost in his eyes, the more she felt like giving in to the extent where she mouthed an agreement and what followed was the time she would be getting off work._

_(End of Flashback)_

The rest of what happened on that day was what changed his life considerably. The meeting and what was exchanged as a result of what progressed later on, and with that it suddenly made sense to him. His hands turning the steering wheel of the car around, and then heading back to the one place he was previously running away from due to what he felt he couldn't face again, the image of her bruised features reminding him of what he was responsible for but what about his undying love for her? Would that be sacrificed again at the cost of yet another obstacle?

**Well there it is guys, and what exactly is this "progression" in the flashback? Well come next chapter we'll find out exactly what it was. So if you guys wanna know then please press that little review button and tell me what you thought of this chapter. Thanks guys ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Thanks for the reviews guys and sorry for not having put this up sooner. Anyhoo without further interruption here it is, "the progression".**

Enjoy

(Flashback - 7 years ago)

She couldn't seem to get her mind off him ever since she practically arranged a date with him.

It's just coffee, she kept telling herself but deep down she knew it presented the possibility for something more, and this was honestly the last thing she needed along with the other obstacles she was trying to face at the minute, more importantly her Step Father's growing addiction to alcohol and the consequences she and her Mother had to endure when he was under the influence.

"Hey freckles." a shaggy haired man announced as he walked through the entrance of the Diner and then towards her. His arms boldly winding themselves around her waist, but Kate was a lot quicker on the uptake and placed herself behind the elongated diner table to create that clear barrier between them cause it was how she felt when it came to him, ever since College.

"So what brings you here James?" she asked while offering him the hint of a friendly smile as she continued to work.

"The name's Sawyer darlin."

"Whatever, so can I get you anything?" she muttered and then proceeded to treat him like any other customer.

"Mmmmm, can I take an order of you to go." he shot back and joked but all Kate did in return was glare and explain that she needed to work so if came here for anything else other then that would probably have to be postponed to another, or another dimension altogether cause the day she would gladly relent to this man's demands would be the day it rained frogs.

"C'mon freckles, all I'm askin for is a little Katie pie."

"You really know how to make a girl feel special, _"Sawyer". _she replied with nothing but disgust in return and then went to tend to another customer, leaving the Southerner to huff in annoyance while letting himself out.

Thankfully the rest of her day had gone off pretty well, but the nervousness she felt only grew as the hours grew nearer to when she would be seeing him again.

"You okay hon?" one of her workmates inquired as she noticed the brunette behaving in a strange way. The most obvious sign being that she was putting salt into the sugar containers.

"Huh, oh yeah I'm fine just……" she explained and then paused off to mutter something under her breath, but the woman across from her just elicited an all knowing smile sensing that this might have something to do with the man she had spotted the brunette with earlier on in the day.

"So who was he?" the blonde woman decided to ask, cutting right to the chase but Kate just looked upon her in confusion at first but soon enough she caught onto what the blonde woman was on about.

"He's….he's an old friend of mine." she explained while trying to suppress the heat forming on the surface of her cheeks.

"Is he now?" the blonde shot back in a sort of sing song tone.

"He's just a friend, that's all?" Kate stressed but like the disbelieving woman across from her she too found it hard to convince herself that they were just friends.

"What's his name?"

"Jack." Kate replied with a gathering smile and that gesture itself was convincing enough to prove the blonde woman's point.

"What does he do?" Kate was then asked and almost immediately her smile faded when she suddenly realised that she never got the chance to find out if he got to be what he always wanted to be, a police officer.

"Ahh, well speak of the devil." the blonde then uttered when her gaze fell on their latest customer making his way through the entrance, Kate's gaze soon falling on the tall man who looked positively delicious in his police uniform.

Well at least someone got to concur their dreams, she sadly reminded herself as she looked at the reality of her life, but another part of her felt truly happy that he managed to overcome his Father's exceeding demands to maintain the family name by becoming a Doctor.

"Hi." he shyly offered as he noticed Kate's eyes surveying every inch of him, and he blushed further when the blonde woman next to her did the same, but in the end she snapped herself out of it and broke the endless moment of silence in the room.

"Well it's nice to finally meet you Jack." the blonde woman spoke while offering her hand out to him in a friendly gesture, and for some reason Kate felt a new sensation coursing through her veins, jealousy. No matter how hard she tried to fight and suppress her feelings, they always managed to surface one way or another.

Uh, it's nice to meet you too….. Juliet." Jack hesitantly spoke while squinting his eyes to decipher the badge attached to her outfit.

"Oh, please call me Julie. Besides any friend of Kate's is a friend of mine, especially if they all looked like you." the blonde deliberately purred and as expected the effect of her comment didn't go un heard by the now steaming brunette.

"Excuse me, I am here." Kate practically growled and Julie just burst out laughing in response, not being able to play the game anymore cause the look on Kate's face was priceless, but Julie did it to make her see how much she cared for this man.

"Okay, well I'm gonna call it a night and leave you two love birds alone." Julie announced with a smile as the brunette continued to blush as a result of acting on her growing jealousy.

"Oh, and if you break it, you've bought it." the blonde teased before she left, leaving an uncomfortable silence to surface once again.

"So, you…." they both decided to utter at the same time and then broke off into a brief moment of laughter marvelling at how nervous they still were around each other.

"You first." Kate offered after maintaining a continuous conversation based on "you go first".

"So are you ready?" he asked while trying to find something to do with his hands, because all they wanted to do now was grab her and pull her into him so that he could smell her and simply embrace more of what she was already bringing out of him.

"Uh yeah, just give me a few minutes to change and I'll be right back." Kate replied while removing the apron from her slender figure and how Jack couldn't help but think how right her body would fit and mould against his. The mind numbing effect forcing him to elicit a low groan as he felt a particular part of him painfully reacting to his developing and more personal thoughts of the green eyed brunette.

Ten minutes later and she appeared before him once again, this time dressed in a simple pair of black trousers with a frilled sleeveless white blouse, looking like a beautiful vision to his loving eyes, but he quickly snapped himself out of it in the end when she called out for his attention to see if he was ready.

"Cold?" Jack asked as they stepped outside to be greeted with a light chilly breeze, and Kate felt eternally useless when her reply came out in the form of a shiver.

"Here….." Jack started and then broke off when he placed himself behind her and slowly rubbed the sides of her shoulders. The touch warming and electrifying at the same time, and Kate was more than warmed by the time he allowed his hands to reluctantly drop to their sides.

"Thanks." was all her mind could form as she turned around to gaze into his sparkling brown eyes in the moonlight.

"So where are we going?" she asked once Jack started the ignition to his car.

"It's a surprise." he simply replied with a an assuring smile adorning his slightly chiselled features, and once again she found herself melting at the sight of it.

"We're here." he suddenly announced as she found the car slowing down. Not even noticing cause she was so caught up in ever one of his actions. From the way his hands moved over the gear stick and the steering wheel, to the way his eyes alternated between the street ahead and her. He was everything she could have wanted in a man, but unfortunately she couldn't say that she was worthy enough to match that standard of perfection.

Once they found a parking space, he immediately got out of his car and took note to act on his gentlemanly ways in opening her door, and at this point all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and never let go of this wonderful and perfect man.

"I can't believe this place is still standing." Kate mused in wonder as she surveyed the all familiar surroundings of the Coffee shop both she and Jack had worked in during their Sophmore year of College.

"Yeah, well some things are just worth having around." he replied while leaning forward to grasp her hand within his larger one.

"Um, so how have you been?" she decided to ask instead while slowly and politely pulling her hand away from his.

The answer to that question seemed a lot more harder to come out with than he initially thought it would be, cause he knew he would be lying if he had to tell her he was doing okay. These past four years had been hell for him, more so because of the loneliness.

"It's been okay." he finally answered in the end with a sigh, and a slight nod of agreement to help confirm his statement but Kate could see a very evident glimmer of sadness present within his gaze and she knew it probably rooted from the same reason she was suffering with, but too afraid to express due to the circumstances of her current predicament. Wayne to be more precise whom she knew Jack would kill in a heartbeat once he found out about the things he did to her.

The rest of the night had surprisingly taken more of a lighter tone. Them both reciting of the happier times they had shared in and out of College and even the Coffee shop they were in.

"My god. You'd never think he was." Kate spoke in astonishment of hearing about what some of her class mates had been up to ever since.

"So he was actually caught in the act?" Kate had to ask again just to make sure she was hearing this right.

"Yeah. So I guess those weren't rumours after all." Jack struggled to get out in between his giggles which were only amplified when the brunette's got louder.

_God she's so beautiful, _he mused as he gazed at her with nothing but awe and love. She had not changed in the slightest since he had last seen her. If possible she had only grown more radiant in the presence of his awe stricken eyes.

"Thank you so much for tonight Jack." Kate graciously offered once she gained a firm hold on her giggles. The outcome of the gesture forming a bright red blush to form on her freckled cheeks and just when he thought his heart couldn't melt any further, he was certainly proven wrong within that minute.

"It was my pleasure." he more or less breathed out as he leaned in towards her shaking form, her mouth automatically parting as his came closer, and before she could form any word or thought they were finally numbed and dismissed into oblivion as his lips touched hers. His lips merely caressing the creamy surface of hers at first, but within minutes it progressed to it's peak.

"Jack" she half whined and moaned as his lips explored more of her taste, and when he finally reached the hollow of her collarbone, she grasped both sides of his head within her trembling hands. She was fully straddling him in the driver's seat and his hands had managed to inch their way under her blouse, his fingers flirting with the clasp of her bra, and he was just about to remove it when she brought the moment to an abrupt stop.

"Kate, what? What's wrong?" he inquired once he got a hold of his senses again. Now feeling nothing but regret for giving into his physical desires for the woman before him, but what she said next was enough to astound him to say the least, but not necessarily in a bad way.

**Hehe, I know me and my freaking cliffhangers right, but it's been a while since I've done a proper one, but never fear because the next instalment will pick up right from where this one left off and we'll finally get to the nitty gritty center of what happened, cough jex cough lol. So what do you think guys? **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Here it is guys, the jexy chapter. Hope you'll like it and thanks so so much for the reviews ;)**

**P.S. Continues exactly from where the previous chapter left off.**

Enjoy

"Is everything……" he paused to ask of her again but he broke off mid sentence when he sensed an explanation coming.

"I just…… I'm not sure if I can get involved in something like this Jack." she explained despite feeling the growing betrayal of her body's wants and needs of this man. The craving branching beyond the elements of a bare necessity.

"Sorry." he muttered with the slight hint of annoyance in his tone but it was hard to determine it for sure due to the distinct lack of light with their present surroundings, but never the less she knew him long enough to know when he was annoyed with something or someone. The change in his body language confirming her assumptions once and for all.

A part of her felt like relenting to the gloom of the moment. Her thinking that it would benefit their relationship in the long run, but the more she stared at this defeated man before her and the more she felt a growing surge of determination and bravery to face what she knew he wanted without a doubt.

So would she say no and call it a night or would she embrace her physical desires for him and give him the one thing she knew would change them completely, but the only thing holding her back now was considering whether it really would be for the better?

"So I guess this is it then!!" Jack grimly commented with a sigh of disappointment at having been turned down yet again, but what surprised him next was to experience the warm feel of her hand interlacing with his half open one. Her fingers locking tightly around his own in a warming embrace, and he soon received the plain reason for her actions glowing through her focused gaze.

"Let's get out of here." she immediately suggested with a growing smile adorning her heart warming features, but the gesture was merely a distraction from the unfortunate progression occurring in the background. The faint screaming of a voice she knew all too well reminding her of the harsh reality of her life.

"Any place in mind?" he asked feeling a little taken aback by her new found spontaneity but he never took the time to question it because it thrilled him to finally see a side of her he had never witnessed before, her wild and carefree side and he took no time in seizing the opportunity it offered.

"I don't care, just as long as it's away from here……. please." she more or less pleaded off him in a playful but fairly serious manner, and he couldn't help but feel concerned and warmed at the same time, but more so warmed when she pulled off her well rehearsed puppy dog look.

"Fine….if we must" he sighed as if really put out but he soon relented and gave into his giggles feeling content and relieved for the first time in a long time.

Fifteen minutes and they were pulling alongside an assumed destination. The posh, suburban like surroundings of this place astounding her to say the least and that led her curiosity to surface.

"Where are we?" she dumbly asked having the slight inclination that this was……..

"My place." Jack proudly announced with a smile of assurance masking his chiselled features. However it paled considerably when his eyes caught sight of her shock and uncertainty showing clearly through her gaze, but for the second time tonight he was surprised by her drastic change in demeanour.

"Wow." she proclaimed while sneaking a second look at the rather massive property. Her keen observance giving him the chance to let himself out of the car and then approach her side of the car to act on his gentlemanly ways of opening the door for her.

"Thanks." she muttered while bowing her head to hide the blush she felt creeping upon the surface of her freckled cheeks, and the feeling excelled that much further when she felt him place his hand on the lower part of her back as he ushered her to the entrance of his house.

Once they were finally within the depths of his "mansion" as Kate saw it in her mind; she was suddenly welcomed with an array of things and she smiled right away when her eyes fell upon an abandoned pack of Oreo cookies. The memory of this element bringing her back to a much happier time.

_(1 year ago)_

_"God, how many packets have you gone through already." the brunette stressed in mere astonishment of this man's appetite._

_"Hey, it helps me study." Jack explained as he reached out to grab the half filled pack of Oreo's from the brunette's fairly firm grip._

_"Yeah right." she replied while leaning forward to retrieve the pack from him again. Her efforts this time earning her a full out tussle. His form lunging over the table and then pouncing over her giggling form. Her fall being broken by his arms and the soft surface off the grass beneath them._

_"Jaaaack." Kate half whined in a pre longed manner while trying her level best to match his strength, but she was no match for the next thing he had in mind._

_"Oh, no you don't." she warned with a mock glare but his mind was already set on what it had planned and so were his fingers now placed on the sides of her waist._

_"Stop me." was all he said before his fingers acted on what they had positioned themselves in that very area for. Her growing fit of giggles spurring his advances on even more, but the moment soon turned serious and more intense when their current position granted the closeness they had tried their hardest to avoid mainly because it evoked a deep sense of physical longing for each other._

_"Jack." Kate found herself whispering in the slight form of a plea and Jack was happy to oblige by leaning forward to place what he knew they both wanted now but the distinct yell of someone in the background brought them out of their mutual reverie._

_Fate had a funny way with them._

_(End of flashback)_

"You like it?" she suddenly found herself being asked by a voice behind her. Her eyes continuing to survey her present surroundings and she couldn't help but contort her face into a gesture of confusion.

"You sure have a lot of guns in this place Jack. You a cop or something?" she jokingly asked off him as she placed herself closer to the mantle where an assortment of guns were framed within a glass box.

"Uhhh… yeah." Jack awkwardly revealed to the brunette before him and he was honestly unsure of gauging her exact reaction when she turned herself around to face him, but he got his answer in a matter of seconds when he found himself being willingly embraced by the brunette across from him. Her words of pride for him being elicited as soon as she wrapped her little arms wrapped themselves around her neck, his soon following to instinctively wrap around her slim waistline.

"You did it Jack." she kept on more or less chanting as her tears of happiness surfaced at knowing that at least one of them had succeeded in pursuing their life long dreams. His accomplishment touching her more than she ever expected.

"And I have you to thank for it Kate." Jack responded, his voice thick with emotion as his arms pulled her even closer into him, but he was unfortunately willed to pull away when Kate faced him with a look of confusion.

"It's true Kate. If it weren't for your constant faith in me then I think I would have given up a long time ago." he went onto explain and in Kate's eyes no explanation was needed in the first place cause she could already see the truth in his eyes. Truth that spoke with utmost intent and purpose and it was more than words could ever express.

"Jack." she whispered right before leaning into capture his stilled lips. The meaning and pressure both gaining immediate precedence of the situation, and though he was slow on the uptake at first, he gradually worked his way up to match her level of passion. The combined outcome leading the couple to lock in the most fiercest of kisses. One which neither wanted to pull away from because it had been so long awaited and so desperately needed to quench the never dying hunger these two shared for each other, despite their time apart. In fact it only made the ache stronger and Jack seemed less shy than Kate about showing it, his arms reaching down to grasp each leg to wrap around his waist. The new position allowing them more of each other to devour and it also granted access to the parts they longed to feel, hold and squeeze. The action arousing the odd moan of appreciation out of their gasping mouths, and soon it became too much for Jack to handle.

"Kate, I….have to….I mean, do you….." he stuttered to get out as he felt her pelvis grinding against his swelling arousal.

"I think it's been long enough." she expressed with a smile, her eyes still closed - revelling in the spirit of the moment, and Jack had no qualms whatsoever to disagree otherwise. Instead all he did was walk them towards the direction of the stairs, his lips forming a perfect "O" shape as hers sealed over the surface of his pulse. The rate of it's beat growing erratic, much like her growing need for him to be one with her already.

They clumsily managed to reach the doorway to his bedroom, and Jack was too busy at the moment to try and find the doorknob with his hand. So he just resorted to kicking it open instead, eliciting a surprised gasp out of the brunette in response, but his lips were there to gently soothe any residue of fear right away. It was certainly the last thing he wanted her to feel when she was with him. Once they reached his king size red satin covered bed, he slowly hunched his form and then placed her on it, but he was firmly restricted from standing up to his full height again cause of the physical hold she still had on him, and when she failed to let go despite his words of assurance, he just laughed and gave in ; reminding himself that this was for her as much as it was for him but he secretly vowed to give her a little more.

So with that he kneeled on the floor before her and wrapped his arms around her form once again, her fingers finding the top button of his shirt, and his immediate moan in response was enough to wordlessly convince her to continue with her ministrations and boy was she satisfied with the outcome received once the layer of clothing was smoothly removed from his muscled body. The moment his shirt was off he pulled away from her reluctant lips and mouthed an instruction that rooted from the lust showing clearly through his almost unrecognisable gaze.

"Lie back."

Much to his luck she complied straight away with his instruction, while removing any materialistic restriction along the way, and once she was done and naked before him, he cautiously crawled over her, much like an approaching predator but the gentleness still present within his gaze convinced her that he was still the same man she knew and possibly loved.

The only layer that restricted them from being with one another was his boxers. The evidence of his need for her poking proudly and provocatively to be seen and felt and God how she longed for the latter when her eyes caught sight of it's assumed size. Her eyes widening even further when she saw it in it's uncovered entirety within seconds.

"Ohhhhh Jack, in…….in me please." she begged off him and her pleas just forced him to grow harder in response and as much as he wanted to plunge himself into her and never pull out, he wanted to achieve more from what he already knew to be one of the best moments in his life.

"Jack?" Kate automatically questioned when she sensed his rather abrupt stillness over her, but what he said next was surely enough to dismiss any more questions to form.

With a smile shared he then half bent over her and placed a series of kisses over her heated skin. Inching from her stomach, to the rosy buds of her perky breasts and then finally landing on the side of her neck. The change in his initiation of pressure already informing her of his intentions and she couldn't help but grasp his head closer into her in response. The realisation of what it meant frightening and exciting her at the same time, but the latter seemed to be winning considerably as she felt him growl her name against her skin when she started to grind into the throbbing length she felt resting on the lower part of her stomach.

"I'm yours Jack. Take me, take what is rightfully yours." she spoke more so in the heat of the moment but she couldn't exactly deny her agreement with those words. There was no other man for him no matter how much she tried to ignore her feelings.

His response to that was to continue to suck at her neck while his right hand searched to grasp hold of his hardened cock , and once a firm grip was achieved, he then pushed it slowly into the moistened slit of her lower lips. The sultry action causing for her to come almost immediately, but she managed to rein herself in, in the end and instead allowed for the feeling to run it's course. Her mind convinced that the outcome of this experience would be more than worth it once she gave him the word.

He started to move at a slow pace at first, coinciding with the way his mouth moved over her neck, but soon enough they found themselves more wanting of each other, and with that he started to move within her at a similar but more pressured pace. The change forcing her to mouth a string of explicatives, and as it progressed he found his control slowly slipping away. Her own ministrations against him not helping in the slightest, and without any warning he then placed his hands on the underside of her thighs and threw them over his shoulders. The change in position allowing him a fuller intrusion and he wasted no time in thrusting with all his might to achieve what it offered to the fullest.

Kate on the other hand couldn't seem to say or think of anything as she continued to remain a willing victim to his impressionable thrusts. His face one of such focus and pleasure that it almost caused for her to pass out at one point, and within the next minute she thought she had as she felt a massive jolt burst within her body. The result of this jolt causing an uncontrollable rush to reverberate through every fibre of her being, and the shout she then heard above her was enough to confirm and show her that this is what their union could achieve.

_This is what love felt like._

**So what did happen between that time and now?? All will be explained guys as soon as you tell me what you thought of this chappie, thanks :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Okay so here we go guys another long awaited update and thanks for the reviews including my anonymous reviewers Lizi, jay, lauren, supersolanea, Steph. M and Karen ;)**

**We're still in flashback time for the first bit of this chapter, following up from where the last chapter left off….**

Enjoy

"_WAYNE STOP IT!!" A petrified Kate screamed fighting her drunken excuse of a step Father as he had her Mother by the throat, solely intent on ending her right there and then. _

_When all attempts seemed effortless against his strength, she retrieved one of the many scattered beer bottles lying around and struck him hard over the head, hoping to knock him clean out of this insanity but it only seemed to backfire and make her the object of drunken rage. However before he could so much as lay a finger on her, they were both brought to attention by the distinct clicking of a trigger._

"_Get away from her." The tall man warned in an almost soulless tone, his hatred surpassing anything he had ever felt before, and that scared not only him but the brunette as well._

"_Jack, please don't" Kate begged, trembling from her sobs, knowing that this may be it. As expected his growing hatred towards Wayne willed him to block every voice of reason out, and with that he slowly pulled the trigger but was stopped halfway by the man he had come to finish off once and for all._

"_JACK" Kate screamed but it simply played no effect on the roaring tussle she knew she was solely responsible for. She knew for a fact that none of this would have happened if she hadn't told Jack the truth about how Wayne treated her and her Mother. _

_This is what my honesty gets me, she mentally scolded herself and within that second the intense moment ended with a massive bang, firmly suggesting that there was a clear winner in this battle and her heart managed to break even further when she saw that Jack wasn't the one standing anymore._

"_See what you did Katie." Wayne conveyed in a low and slightly demonic voice still staring down at Jack's now lifeless body, the gun still pointing down at him._

"_You did this to him Katie, you will always do this to him." Diane surprisingly joined in, alternating her gaze between Kate and Jack's body. _

"_You did this."_

"_It's your fault."_

_They chanted as they surrounded her, hell bent on making her accept the harsh truth._

"_Stop it! Stop it." She still tried to ignore it, fighting with every fibre of her being to see this fear as just another obstacle to prolong the inevitable. Or was the inevitable a lot more different than she saw it._

"_You killed me." A chilling voice suddenly filled the room, silencing Diane and Wayne's chants._

"_Jack?" Kate questioned in disbelief of what she was seeing at the moment, but never the less she strived to tend to him as he still lay on the floor, bloody and seemingly lifeless._

"_Don't." he warned with a mixed look of hurt and hatred, the latter showing considerably with what he said next._

"_Don't touch me murderer."_

"_NO!!_ _" she whispered, closing her eyes to block out this nightmare but it proved useless against the gathering voices around her._

"_I'm not a murderer." _

"_It's all you are. All you'll ever be."_

"_STOP IT!!" _

She screamed and suddenly woke to surrounding she was unfamiliar with at first due to the lack of lighting within it, but the light snoring she then heard was enough to fill her with a sense of relief and fear at the same time. Relief at knowing that it was all just a dream, fear for remembering what happened in the nightmare, and with that she quietly removed herself from his embrace, deciding to get some fresh air or at least a drink of water to gain a stable sense of composure. How could she when all she could hear was his voice calling her the one thing she never wanted to become or for him to even see her as.

Although was this dream just another way of warning her for what was to come if she invested in this relationship any further?

More importantly was she capable enough to commit such a heinous crime despite the way Wayne was?

"I can't……I can't risk it"

* * *

He allowed his hand to slowly roam across what he assumed was her form, but all he felt instead were the ruffled linen sheets covering his bed, arousing an immediate sense of worry, especially when there was no sign that she had been here in the first place with the exception of a letter he then saw left on his nightstand.

By the end of the letter he was filled with an immediate urge to hit the first thing he saw, but he also took into consideration that doing it wouldn't accomplish anything. In fact it would only add to the emotional ache that made his heart break even more.

The only question he was left asking himself was…..

"Why?"

**_(End of Flashback)_ **

It all made perfect sense to him now as he drove back to the Hospital, taking advantage of the priority he would get in turning on the siren to his police car. He knew it would probably cost him his badge doing something like this but he honestly couldn't care about anything at this point apart from the one thing that did. The one person he should have fought harder for.

(Meanwhile – Back at the Hospital)

"Hey freckles." The shaggy haired man urged in a comforting manner, secretly hoping that his voice would somehow bring her out of this, but all he earned for his efforts was the steady beeping of her heart rate monitor.

"We've been through a lot ain't we darlin." He mused for once cherishing the moments they had spent together on the run. Whether it be that they were at each other's throats or simply having civil conversations with each other, he cherished each one because it allowed for him to not only learn more about her, but it also gave him the chance to just be with her. He always felt that they were similar in ways she never saw, but he hoped that one day she would.

"C'mon freckles, you gotta come outta this or else who's gonna get my ass in order." The Southerner joked but hoped the intent behind his statement was conveyed loud and proud.

**Knock knock**

The sound was heard and before Sawyer could even ask who it was, he was graced with the rather unfortunate presence of the one person he loathed without a thought to consider.

"Sawyer" Jack muttered, choosing to be civil with the man in an effort to limit any kind of disruption, and surprisingly enough the blonde haired man followed through with it, not before roughly pushing past Jack to make their current standing with each other known. To be honest it was okay with Jack because all he really cared about was lying unconscious on the bed before him.

God even now she looked more beautiful than ever though he felt he was overly bias in forming such a thought, but he didn't care because he should have been showering her with compliments such as these a long time ago. If he did then none of this would have happened.

_Focus on the now_ , he firmly reminded himself before he took a seat next to her, his heart aching at the sight of the injuries he had caused but he knew that nothing could compare to the emotional ones she had to endure all this time.

"Hey." He casually offered as he allowed his thumb to gently stroke the surface of her pale but relatively warm cheek.

"Long time no see huh." He joked but grew emotional when he allowed himself to be momentarily consumed by the harsh reality of the situation. The odds of her up and walking not as slim as her chances of facing jail for committing a crime he felt was more a favour to society. Never the less he firmly vowed to himself at that moment that he would do whatever he could to fix this whether it be freedom or a reduce in sentence.

"I missed you so damn much you know that." He truthfully revealed feeling like the first load had been lifted off only to deal with the next one..

"I tried Kate. I tried so hard to listen to everyone else and forget about you, about what we had, but I couldn't. I couldn't forget the best thing in my life and I know you'd probably come up with some crap about how we're two different people and all, but just hear me out okay." He instructed feeling a tad stupid at instructing the last part, knowing that her situation willed her to do nothing but that.

"I love you." He confessed and swore he felt the slightest twitch in the hand he was currently clutching, but in the end he chalked it down to his exceeding hope that she would miraculously wake from this coma, throw her arms around him and return his confession.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to say it or figure it all out for that matter but I was…….confused." he continued and paused, letting out a smile at the sheer absurdity of his confusion at the time. He even considered Sawyer being the possible reason at one time, clearly allowing for his jealousy to then get the better of him and he knew it was silly because she never once gave him the inclination that she ever saw the Southerner in that way. Well he wasn't a hundred percent sure of it, but regardless of it all it had more to do with protecting him.

"I know why you lied Kate, but I just want you to know that the person you thought needed saving….didn't. All I ever wanted to do was to protect you instead and just…."

"I just wanna love you." He finished and broke off, bowing his head to finally let it all out, not even noticing the tear that ran down Kate's cheek at that precise moment. A sure enough sign that he had been heard, even by the person who had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation.

**Sniff sniff there it is guys and come next chap we'll see a few more physical improvements with Kate's condition, not to mention a few more confrontations as a result of Jack making such a step** **and not just from the assumed party. A few other familiar faces might just surface as well. So what do ya think guys?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Since it's been centuries lol, I thought I'd finally grace you guys with an update. **

**Now the flashback in this chapter continues 2 months after Kate slept with Jack when they last met, which was 7 years ago (documented in chapters 6 and 7) and well let's just say there was another reason she didn't want to see Jack again…..**

**As always a massive thank you for your reviews and your constant patience with me.**

* * *

(Flashback – 7 years ago)

_Her heart ached every waking moment of the day__, but it didn't matter cause she did it for the best, his specifically. Besides the last thing she wanted was for her nightmare to come true…._

"_**See what you did Katie." Wayne conveyed in a low and slightly demonic voice still staring down at Jack's now lifeless body, the gun still pointing down at him.**_

"_**You did this to him you will always do this to him." Diane surprisingly joined in, alternating her focus between Kate and Jack's body. **_

"_**You did this."**_

"_**It's your fault."**_

"_**Stop it! Stop it." She still tried to ignore it, fighting with every fibre of her being to see this fear as just another obstacle to prolong the inevitable. Or was the inevitable a lot more different than she saw it?**_

"_**You killed me." A chilling voice suddenly filled the room, silencing Diane and Wayne's taunting.**_

"_**Jack?" Kate questioned in disbelief of what she was seeing at the moment, but never the less she moved to help him as he still lay on the floor, bloody and seemingly lifeless.**_

"_**Don't." he warned with a mixed look of hurt and hatred, the latter showing considerably with what he said next.**_

"_**Don't touch me murderer."**_

_She could still picture Jack's face saying those words and even though it was a dream, it still felt so real. Enough to __not make her have any regrets about what she'd done and what she told him in the letter. _

"_We can't keep living in the past still yearning for something we can never have." _

_It hurt to even write it, but it had to be done and much to the relief of prolonging the heartache any further he hadn't called or tried coming down, personally demanding an explanation. _

_Even though she secretly wanted him to. _

_So here she was, home alone, heart broken and suddenly ill at the thought of it all. Weirdly enough she'd been feeling this way for quite some time now. Getting nauseous at odd times and barely keeping a meal down for more than a few hours. At first she put it down to a bug, but the symptoms were there to perhaps prove otherwise. _

"_I can't be." _

(End of Flashback)

All she heard were muffled sounds, yet his voice rung through loud and clear.

Once she found the strength, she gradually opened her yes, momentarily dazed at her present surroundings up until her focus honed in on the person sitting beside her. Asleep now and still grasping her hand tightly, wordlessly confirming what she'd heard him say earlier on.

"_I just wanna love you."_

Any other time or situation and she would've gladly embraced and most likely returned such a declaration, but she unfortunately lost the privilege to any of it with everything that had happened. The last 7 years to be precise.

(Flashback)

_She refused to believe or think about it cause__ one she couldn't afford to and two, she remembered being on the pill at the time. _

"_So why do I still feel like this?"_

_The only way to be certain at this point was to take a test. _

_Ten minutes later and she was at her local Pharmacy searching through the astounding variety. In the end purchasing one offering the best result in an effort to ease her worry once for all, though what didn't ease her worry in the slightest was the jaw dropping price. _

_Still she bought it anyway and rushed back to home, hoping Wayne hadn't returned, stinking drunk as usual. Thankfully he wasn't so she went straight into the bathroom to get this over and done with. _

_What felt like the longest 5 minutes finally drew to dinging close and with a deep breath she braced herself for the result. _

_Two pink lines._

_Her immediate defence was denial. Claiming that the test was simply inaccurate, but at the same time it put a lot of sense to what she'd been feeling for the past 2 months up until now. _

_There was no denying it anymore. _

"_I'm preg……."_

"_ANYBODY HOME?!!" came the sudden drunken cry of someone she loathed being related to and since her Mother was out working a double shift tonight, there was no one else to tend to him. _

_Left with no choice, she begrudgingly moved to volunteer__ herself, but was stopped halfway by a loud banging on her bedroom door. The harsh noise aided by the drunken slur of her name, clearly suggesting who it was._

_Disgusted yet secretly fearful __not just for her life but also the baby now inside her, she opened the door, though not fully._

"_What do you…." She barely got the chance to say before Wayne pushed open the door__ in a fit of rage. The force of it sending Kate flying back, but she managed to somewhat cushion her fall in time. Escaping with the exception of a developing bruise caused by the door when it smacked her in the face._

"_Is that any way to greet ya Daddy?!" he grumbled, standing over her, a half empty bottle of liquor in one hand and the other fisted to accentuate his anger. _

"_You're not my Father and you never will be!!" she spat it out before thinking and received her response in the form of a hard, lip splitting smack. _

"_You wanna say that again you little bitch?!" Wayne challenged, making the extent of his threat heard by constricting the grip he now had on Kate's throat. _

_As much as a part of her __wanted to fight back, she now had someone other than herself to consider. A vulnerable little life that was solely dependant on the betterment of her welfare and fighting with a raging drunk would do the exact opposite._

_So she reluctantly backed down, staying silent but much to her misfortune Wayne failed to do the same. Only growing increasingly violent when she refused to meet his crude and indecent demands. _

_What happened that night was something Kate would never forget. _

(End of Flashback)

She still never fully reeled past the memory or the pain, even after all these years of trying, and seeing Jack again only made the pain more evident.

The pain of losing his child.

* * *

**On a personal**** note I have to say that this Chapter was considerably hard for me to write, specifically some elements of the flashback towards the end of the Chapter, but at the same time I want to be consistent and realistic with telling every part of the story, even the hard painful bits. **

**Anyway this Chapter only explained the first half of Kate's back story. The next few will explore the rest. In the process perhaps piecing her reason for the "crime" she committed. **

**If you guys are confused about anything then please let me know. If not then let me know what you thought anyway…..**


End file.
